May, 6, 1696
My LORD, -- I have at length, by the help
of Mr. Collins, procured a copy of that MS. in the Bodleian library,
which you were so curious to see, and, in obedience to your lordship's
commands, I herewith send it to you. Most of the notes annexed
to it are what I made yesterday, for the reading of my Lady Masham;
who is become so fond of Masonry as to say, that she now, more
than ever, wishes herself a man, that she might be capable of
admission into the fraternity.
The MS., of which this is a copy, appears to be about 160 years
old; yet (as your lordship will observe by the title) it is itself
a copy of one yet more ancient by 100 years; for the original
is said to have been the handwriting of King Henry VI.
Where that prince had it, is at present an uncertainty; but it seems to me to be an examination (taken perhaps before the king) of some one of the brotherhood of Masons; among whom he entered himself, as it is said, when he came out of his minority, and thenceforth put a stop to a persecution that had been raised against them; but I must not detain your lordship longer, by my preface, from the thing itself.
I know not what effect the sight of this old paper may have upon your. lordship; but, for my own part, I cannot deny that it has so much raised my curiosity as to induce me~ to enter myself into the fraternity, which I am determined to do (if I may be admitted), the next time I go to London, and that will be shortly.
I am, my lord,
Your lordship's most obedient,
And most humble servant,
JOHN LOCKE
M.
(*John Leylande was appointed by Henry VIII., at the dig solution of monasteries, to search for and save such books and records as were valuable among them. He was a man of great labor and industry.)
(** His Highness, meaning the said King Henry VIII. Our kings had not then the title of Majesty.)
They be as followthe:
Q. What motte ytt be?*
A. Ytt beeth the skylle of nature, the understondynge of the myghte that ys hereynne, and its son drye werckynges; sonderlyche, the skylle of rectenyngs, of waightes and metynges, and the treu manere of faconnynge al thinges for mannes use; headlye, dwellynges, and buyldynges of alle kindes, and al odher thynges that make gudde to manne.
(* That is, what may this mystery of Masonry be? The answer imports that it consists in natural, mathematical, and mechanical knowledge. Some part of which (as appears by what follows) the Masons pretend to have taught the rest of mankind, and some part they still conceal.)
Q. Where dyd ytt begynne?
A. Ytt dyd begynne with the* ffyrste menne in the este, whych were before the* ffyrste manne of the weste, and. comynge westlye, ytt hathe broughte herwyth alle comfortes to the wylde and comfort-lesse.
(* It should seem by this that Masons believe there were men in the east before Adam, who is called "the ifyrste manne of the weste;" and that arts and Sciences began in the east. Some authors of great note for learning have been of the same opinion; and it is certain that Europe and Africa (which, in respect to Asia, may he called western countries), were wild and savage, long after arts and politeness of manners were in great perfection in China and the Indies.)
Q. Who dyd brynge ytt westlye?
A. The* Venetians, who beynge great merchaundes, corned flyrste firomme the este ynn Venetia, for the commodytye of marchaundysynge heithe este and west, hey the redde and myddleloude sees.
(* In the times of monkish ignorance, it is no wonder that the Phoenicians should be mistaken for the Venetians. Or perhaps, if the people were not taken one for the other, similitude of sound might deceive the clerk who first took down the examination. The Phomicians were the greatest voyagers among the ancients; and were, in Europe, thought to be the inventors of letters, which, perhaps, they brought from the east with other arts.)
Q. Howe comede ytt yn Engelonde?
A. Peter Gower,* a Grecian, journeyedde ffor kunnynge yn Egypte, and yn Syria, and in everyche londe whereas the Venetians hadde plauntedde Maconrye, and wynnynge entraunce yn al lodges of Maconnes, he lerned muche, and retournedde, and woned yn Grecia Magna** wacksynge, and becomynge a myghte*** wyseacre, and greatlyche renouned, and her he framed a great lodge at Groton,**** and inaked many Maconnes, some where-offe dyd journeye in Fraunce, and maked manye Maconnes, wherefromme, yn processe of tyme, the art passed yn Engelonde.
(* This must be another mistake of the writer. I was puzzled at first to guess who Peter Gower should be, the name being perfectly English; or how a Greek should come by such a name: but, as soon as I thought of Pythagoras, I could scarce forbear smiling to find that a philosopher had undergone a metempsychosis he never dreamt of. We need only consider the French pronunciation of his name, Pythagore, that is, Petagore, to conceive how easily such a mistake might be made by an unlearned clerk. That Pythggoras traveled for know ledge into Egypt, &c., is known to all the learned; and that he was initiated into several different orders of priests, who, in those days, kept all their learning secret from the vulgar, is as well known. Pythagoras also made every geometrical theorem a secret, and admitted only such to the knowledge of them as had first undergone a five years silence. He is supposed to be the first inventor of the 47th proposition of the first book of Euclid, for which, in the joy of his heart, it is said he sacrificed an hetacomb. He also knew the true system of the world, lately revived by Copernicus; and certainly was a most wonderful man. (See his Life, by Dion. Hal.))
(** Grecia Magna, a part of Italy formerly so called, in which the Greeks had settled a large colony.)
(*** The word at present signifies simpleton, but formerly bad a quite contrary meaning. Weisager, in the old Saxon, is philosopher, wiseman or wizard; and, having been frequently used ironically, at length came to have a direct meaning in the ironical sense. Thus, Duns Scotus, a man famed for the subtlety and acuteness of his understanding, has, by the same method of irony, given a general name to modern dunces.)
(**** Groton is the name of a place in England. The place here meant is Crotona, a city of Grecia Magna, which, in the time of Pythagoras, was very populous.)
Q. Dothe Maconnes discouer there artes unto odhers?
A. Peter Gower, when he journeyedde to lernue, was flyrste* made, and anuone techedde; evenne soe shulde all odhers beyn recht. Natheless** Maconnes hauethe always yn everyche tyme, from teyme to teyme, communycatedde to mannkynde soche of their secrettes as generallyche myghte be usefulle; they haueth keped back soche allein as shulde be harmefulle yff they corned yn euylle haundes, odher soche as ne mighte be holpynge wythouten the techynges to be joynedde herwyth in the lodge, oder soche as do bynde the freres more stronelyche together, bey the proffytte and commodytye comyng to the confrerie herfromme.
(* The word made, I suppose, has a particular meaning among the Masons; perhaps it signifies initiated.)
(** This paragraph hath something remarkable in it. It contains a justification of the secrecy so much boasted of by Masons, and so much blamed by others; asserting that they have, in all ages, discovered such things as might be useful, and that they conceal such only as would he hurtful either to the world or themselves. What these secrets are we see afterwards.)
Q. Whatte artes haueth the Maconnes techedde mankind?
A. The artes,* agricultura, architectura, astronomia, geometria, numeres, musica, poesie, kyistrye, governmente, and relygyonne.
(* It seems a hold pretence this of the Masons, that they have taught mankind all these arts. They have their own authority for it; and I know Dot how we shall disprove them. But what appears most odd is, that they reckon religion among the arts.)
Q. Howe commethe Maconnes more teachers than odher menne?
A. The hemselfe hatieth allein in* arte of fynding neue artes, whych arte the ffrste Maconnes receaued from Godde; by the whyche they fyndethe what attes hem plesethe, and the treu way of techying the same. What odher menne doethe ffynde out ys onelyche bey chaunce, and therefore but lytel I tro.
(* The art of inventing arts must certainly be a most useful art. My Lord Bacon's Novum Organum is an attempt towards somewhat of the same kind. But I much doubt that, if ever the Masons had it, they have now lost it; since so few new arts have been lately invented, and so many are wanted. The idea I have of such an art is, that it must be something proper to be applied in all the sciences generally, as is algebra in numbers, by the help of which, new rules of arithmetic are and may be found.)
Q. What dothe the Maconnes concele and hyde?
A. They concelethe the arte of ifyndyng neue artes, and thattys for here own proffyte and* preise, they concelethe the atte of kepynge** secrettes, that so the woride mayeth nothinge concele from them. Thay concelethe the art of wunderwerekynge, and of foresaynge thynges to comme, that so thay same artes may not be usedde of the wyckedde to an euyell ende; thay also concelethe the*** arte of chaunges, the wey of wynnynge the facultye**** of Abrac, the skill of becommynge gude and parfyghte wythouten the holpynges of fere and hope; and the universelle***** longage of Maconnes.
(* It seems the Masons have great regard to the reputation as well as the profit of their order; since they make it one reason for not divulging an art in common, that it may do honor to the possessors of it. I think in this particular they show too much regard for their own society, and too little for the rest of mankind.)
(** What kind of an art this is, I can by no means imagine. But certainly such an art the Masons must have; for though, as some people suppose, they should have no secret at all, even that must be a secret which, being discovered, would expose them to the highest ridicule; and therefore it requires the utmost caution to conceal it.)
(*** I know not what this means, unless it be the trsnsmutation of metals.)
(**** Here I am utterly in the dark.)
(***** An universal language has been much desired by the learned of many ages. It is a thing rather to be wished than hoped for. But it seems the Masons pretend to have such a thing among them. If it be true, I guess it must be something like the language of the Pantomimes among the ancient Romans, who are said to be able, by signs only, to express and deliver any oration intelligibly to men of all nations and languages. A man who has all these arts and advantages is certainly in a condition to be envied; but we are told that this is not the case with all Masons; for though these arts are among them, and all have a right and an opportunity to know them, yet some want capacity, and others industry, to acquire them. However, of all their arts and secrets, that which I most desire to know is, " The skylle of becom mynge gude and pariyghte;" and I wish it were communicated to all mankind, since there is nothing more true than the beautiful sentence contained in the last answer, " That the better men are, the more they love one another." Virtue having in itself something so amiable as to charm the hearts of all that behold it.)
Q. Wyll he teche me thay same artes?
A. Ye shalle be techedde yff ye be warthye, and able to lerne.
Q. Dothe all Maconnes kunne more than odher menne?
A. Not so. They onlyche haueth recht and occasyonne more than odher menne to kunne, but manye doeth fale yn capacity, and manye more doth want industrye, that ys pernecessarye for the gaynyng all kunnynge.
Q. Are Maconnes gudder men then odhers?
A. Some Maconnes are not so vertuous as some odher menne; but, yn the moste parte, thay be more gude than thay woulde be yf thay war not Maconnes.
Q. Doth Maconnes love eidther odher myghtylye as beeth sayde?
A. Yea, verylyche, and that may not odherwise be; for gude menne and treu, kennynge eidher oder to be suche, doeth always love the more as thay be more gude.
Here endethe the questyonnes and answeres.
A GLOSSARY
TO EXPLAIN THE OLD WORDS IN THE FOREGOING MANUSCRIPT
Atein, only.
Alweys, always.
Beithe both.
Commodytye, conveniency.
Confrerie, fraternity.
Faconnynge, forming.
Fore-sayinge, prophecying.
Freres, brethren.
Headlyc, chiefly.
Hem plesethe, they please.
Hemselfe, themselves.
Her, there, their.
Hereynne, therein.
Herwyth, with it.
Holpynge, beneficial.
Kunne, know.
Kunnynge, knowledge.
Make gudde, are beneficial.
Metynges, measures.
Mote, may.
Myddlelond, Mediterranean.
Myghte, power.
Occasyonne, opportunity.
Oder, or.
Onelyche, only.
Pernecessary, absolutely necessary.
Preise, honor.
Recht, right.
Reckenyngs, numbers.
Sonderlyche, particularly.
Skylle, knowledge.
Wacksynge, growing.
Werck, operation.
Wey, way.
Whereas, where.
Woned, dwelt.
Wunderwerchyage, working miracles.
Wylde, savage.
Wynnynge, gaining.
Yun, into.
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